What is Community Funded ECEAP?
Community Funded ECEAP (CFE) helps more children and families access high-quality preschool programs. It was created after Senate Bill (SB) 5107 passed in 2017.
CFE allows local governments, school districts, colleges, and nonprofit organizations to provide funding to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). This funding helps expand Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) services and creates more preschool opportunities for children.
CFE follows the ECEAP program model and performance standards. The main difference is how the program is funded.
- ECEAP is funded directly by the state
- CFE is funded by local or private, non-state sources
Why Community Funded ECEAP?
Washington is working to expand access to early learning and ECEAP services so more children can attend preschool. Many families need preschool services but may not qualify for ECEAP or may have trouble finding available programs.
Families may face challenges such as:
- Rising costs of food, housing, and other daily needs
- Limited access to affordable, high-quality preschool in their community
DCYF’s ECEAP PreK Saturation Study Report shows that many eligible families are still not being served each year.
CFE helps meet this need by creating more high-quality early learning opportunities for children across Washington, especially for 4-year-olds who are not enrolled in ECEAP or Head Start.
